WEBVTT Kind: captions; Language: en

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[...]

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that was how it began or should I say
ended I was hurrying home to my wife and

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kids and I guess I didn't look too closely
when I crossed the intersection but

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then Joe Smith who was driving the car
wasn't on his toes either he was thinking

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about that big deal at the office it
hurt pretty bad at first but that soon

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passed it was a lot tougher on my wife
and kids and on Joe Smith and his family

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well anyway I am an ex-pedestrian now I'm
one of that not so exclusive group of

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34,000 people who are killed each year by
automobiles over a million more injured

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in Maine newspaper reports of automobile
wrecks and statistics on the mounting

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toll taken by accidents are not particularly
impressive statistics don't bleed or

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scream of pain you can't cripple a statistic
or smash its face to a jelly or cave

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its chest statistics don't show what
happens when children are drowned under the

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wheels of a car or when a woman
is thrown through a windshield

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Risley parade of accident victims goes
on and on the hurt the maimed and the

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dying here is death not peaceful death but

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raw and ugly death that comes as a mercy
to torn ragged bodies two out of every

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three accidents are caused by errors in
human judgment if you the living will

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drive and walk with courtesy caution and
common sense this needless slaughter can

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be immeasurably reduced pedestrian and
motorists must respect each other's rights

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there are several important safety rules
that pedestrians must bear in mind

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always cross streets at intersections
where drivers expect you wherever

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traffic is controlled by signals or a
police officer obey the signals or officer

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and do not attempt to cross
until the go signal is given

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stand on the sidewalk when waiting to cross

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intersections don't try to save a few seconds

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by stepping down from the curb
or this may happen to you

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be extremely cautious when crossing
intersections where there are no signals a

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pedestrian must be constantly alert look
to your left to your right and behind

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you being struck down from behind is
one of the most frequent pedestrian

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accidents the same precaution should be
taken when crossing from the opposite

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direction a car may be coming up the
street behind you and turn into the street

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you are crossing don't do the unexpected
drivers are not mind readers if you

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change your mind about which way you want
to go do it on the sidewalk not in an

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intersection where changing your mind may
be fatal when you have determined it is

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safe to cross do so quickly and with
certainty don't loiter in intersections

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jaywalking is the most hazardous possible
means of crossing you are more than

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doubling your chances of being run down
the driver is concerned not only with

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looking out for pedestrians but also
with watching signals and other vehicles

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adults must not build bad pedestrian
habits in children by leading them across

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streets in mid-block crossing against
signals and other unsafe practices simply

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because it is expedient to do so

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traffic safety must be taught by word in
action to our children as soon as they

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are able to walk many municipalities
in conjunction with schools are doing

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excellent work along these lines

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children should be cautioned not to play
in the streets last year nearly 900

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children were killed and several thousand
injured itching rides on the back of

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trucks streetcars and automobiles is
another dangerous practice through which

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many children have been badly injured or

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killed blind spots where visibility is
impaired for either motorist or pedestrian

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by other vehicles or similar obstructions
are danger areas when the motorist or

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pedestrian approaches a blind spot
they should proceed with caution safe

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visibility for pedestrian and motorist
under these conditions is non-existent

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many states give the pedestrian right-of-way
at crosswalks but don't entirely

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rely on the motorist to look out
for you look before you cross most

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pedestrian fatalities are caused by the
pedestrians own negligence crossing in

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front of a bus from which you have just
delighted is generally sure a fire for a

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ride in an ambulance never
get out of your car on

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the

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curb side is the safest practice

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crossing in mid block is

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dangerous the driver of a parked car may
suddenly back up and crush you against

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the other car or you may be
run down by an approaching car

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the driver seldom sees you in time to stop

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if you walk along roads or highways where
there are no sidewalks walk facing the

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flow of traffic so that you may see an
approaching car and step off the roadway

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never walk with your back to approaching
traffic you might be hit or cause a car

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to squirt causing a bad accident you the
driver must constantly be on the alert

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and not exceed a safe rate of speed you
were driving along at 30 miles an hour

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suddenly a child runs out 90 feet in front
of you she's paralyzed with fright you

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slam on your brakes and come to a halt
just seven feet from the child but if you

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were going just five miles an hour faster
you would have traveled 30 feet farther

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you would have struck the child and
traveled 20 feet beyond fatalities among

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older people are high due to their
slower reactions and their misjudging of

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distances traveled by vehicles you the
motorist must be especially cautious when

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handicapped persons or children
are in or near the roadway their

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safety is your responsibility

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traffic at night is very hazardous for
pedestrians the pedestrian who steps out

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into the path of a car at night is
suddenly splashed with what he feels to be

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brilliant illumination it is difficult
for him no matter how often he himself

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drives a car at night to avoid feeling
that the headline glare makes him

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stand out clearly and boldly

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to the driver the pedestrian illuminated
by his headlights is just another object

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in the midst of a thousand other such
vague shapes dark or neutral colored

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clothes reflect very little light so that
it is almost impossible for a motorist

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to see a pedestrian until he is within
a few feet of him if however the

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pedestrian wears light colored clothing
or carry something that reflects light

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like a newspaper the driver can instantly
see these spots of reflected light the

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best rule for walking at night is
consider yourself invisible and walk

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accordingly and speaking of being invisible
that reminds me that my time is about

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up but before I go I thought you might
like to know what happened to Joe Smith

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the driver of the car that ran me down
well the court awarded my wife $50

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,000 of course Joe hasn't got that kind
of money so you'll have to pay some each

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month for a long long time it's
tough he has a family of his own too

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well I'll be

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seeing you